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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24326725">Shelter Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haicrescendo/pseuds/Haicrescendo'>Haicrescendo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Quarantine And Chill 2020 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, M/M, and very few people, don’t worry this will all make sense eventually, gratuitous use of food names, sokka is down for one (1) cat, we stan a cat named nectarine, we’ll see how long that lasts, when you can finally leave your house and desperately need a pet, zuko wants a thousand cats, zuko: friend to all animals</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:40:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,243</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24326725</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haicrescendo/pseuds/Haicrescendo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>[The parking lot of the local animal shelter is near empty. Apparently fleeing the house to immediately adopt a new pet wasn’t the first thing most people decided to do with their newfound freedom, but Sokka’s not complaining. It’ll give them an easier, more relaxed time if there’s less rush.</p><p>Zuko marches with his cat carrier up to the front desk and leans in to speak to the young woman manning the desk. </p><p>“Oh!” She exclaims, “We’ve been expecting you. Zuko?” </p><p>Zuko nods and jerks his head in Sokka’s direction. </p><p>“That’s Sokka. We live together.”]</p><p>Or,</p><p>Zuko and Sokka become cat dads.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Quarantine And Chill 2020 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1722742</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>479</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4672</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>A:tla, Koi’s atla fic recs</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Shelter Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>GUESS WHAT GUYS THIS ISN’T PORN. I don’t know if that’s exciting or disappointing, but the rest of this series will more than likely be wholesome bullshit rather than smut. The author is slightly porned out for the time being.</p><p>BUT ANYWAY. If you liked this, please leave a comment and tell me! Or if you’d rather screech at me through my ask box, I’m on tumblr @sword-and-stars.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p><br/>Zuko is <em> bouncing. </em></p><p> </p><p>Not the kind of bouncing that Aang does, like a bouncy ball inside of a pinball machine, but a more covert bounce. Not quite pacing, which he’s known to do, especially in times of stress.</p><p> </p><p>No, this is actually pretty cute. It’s rare that Zuko’s ever so excited that he can’t contain himself but that’s where he’s at right now. Lockdown’s officially been lifted as of yesterday evening and the first thing that Zuko had done, before Sokka had even gotten himself out of bed this morning, was throw on his mask and make a beeline for Petco.</p><p> </p><p>So in the end, Sokka had woken up in Zuko’s bed by himself, with twenty photo messages about his opinion on pet supplies that Zuko probably wouldn’t listen to him about anyway. The guy had been researching neurotically for what feels like weeks anyway—</p><p> </p><p>Ever since Sokka had initially broached the subject.</p><p> </p><p><em> What are you gonna name your kitten? </em> He’d asked out of the blue in bed one evening. Zuko had gone startled and stiff.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What kitten? </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> The one you think I forgot about. We’re big people, dude, with steady jobs and a place to live. I think between the two of us, we can keep a pet alive. </em> Zuko had spouted some dumb lie about it being a joke, which was so patently ridiculously that Sokka had had to kiss him to shut him up.</p><p> </p><p>He had not been joking, and they both knew it.</p><p> </p><p>It was one hundred percent going to be Zuko’s cat. If there was any person on this planet who needed a pet, it was Zuko. Sokka grew up with dogs and likes cats well enough, but can’t say that they’re necessarily a his favorite. Zuko <em> loves </em> them though, and has been low key browsing adoption websites in his downtime. He’s been in fairly regular contact with the local shelter, submitted both himself and Sokka’s information to go through a background check which has since been approved, and filled out a general adoption application.</p><p> </p><p>So here they are now, with an apartment full of pet supplies and a dream.</p><p> </p><p>Go in, procure cat, go home, enjoy watching boyfriend’s first foray into pet ownership, in that order. That’s the game plan. It’s a good one, because Zuko is bouncing, even with a soft-walled cat bag in his hands.</p><p> </p><p>“I hope we find one,” he mumbles, more into the cosmos rather than directly to Sokka, who’s benevolent and stupidly in love enough to drive both ways. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s the animal shelter, man. They’re gonna have cats.”</p><p> </p><p>Zuko frowns a little. Sokka keeps his eyes on the road but pokes him in the thigh.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re stressing. Why the hell are you stressing?” Zuko can stress out about <em> anything</em>. It’s like a special talent that he has. He’s been getting better about it now that he’s been getting more regular sleep, though, and Sokka hasn’t caught him quietly having an emotional breakdown over paper towels since the first time.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re gonna laugh at me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not gonna laugh at you. Not if it matters to you.”</p><p> </p><p>The furrow between Zuko’s eyebrows goes a little deeper. That just means that Sokka has to poke him a little harder.</p><p> </p><p>“I just...what if they all hate me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my <em> god.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m serious!”</p><p> </p><p>Sokka tries so hard to not smile, because Zuko <em> is </em> serious about it, but it’s such a patently ridiculous statement that he can’t even handle it. Zuko is friends with every dog in their apartment complex but doesn’t know any of their neighbors’ names. He recognizes people in Sokka’s YouTube videos by their pets. Zuko carries a leash in his car in case he ever finds a homeless dog on the street and has to do something about it.</p><p> </p><p>The idea that there’s even a snowball’s chance of going to the animal shelter and <em> not </em> finding a cat that likes him is insane. It’s a real fear, though. Misplaced as hell, but real.</p><p> </p><p>Zuko is <em> ridiculous </em> but somehow, Sokka can only find it endearing.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Baby,</em>” he says with emphasis, “All the adorable homeless kitties are gonna <em> love </em>you. Okay? We’ll find the perfect one. You’re worried for nothin’.”</p><p> </p><p>Zuko doesn’t believe him, but at least he quits with the crazy talk. Sokka squeezes his thigh with his free hand and gives it a pat.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to baby me. I know it’s <em> stupid.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not stupid,” Sokka says bluntly, “You feel how you feel. But I think that you’re going to be surprised and I’m not. Besides,” he continues, takes his eyes off the road to flash Zuko a quick and toothy grin, “I’m your <em> boyfriend. </em>It’s my god-given right and duty to baby you.”</p><p> </p><p>Zuko scowls a little; even though his cheeks go pink, he doesn’t protest this.</p><p> </p><p>He <em> likes </em>to be a little babied, Sokka had found out to his own very surprised delight. Zuko’s had very little of it, and Sokka finds it an easy (and enjoyable) thing to indulge.</p><p> </p><p>The parking lot of the local animal shelter is near empty. Apparently, fleeing the house to immediately adopt a new pet wasn’t the first thing most people decided to do with their newfound, still semi-contained freedom, but Sokka’s not complaining. It’ll give them an easier, more relaxed time if there’s less rush.</p><p> </p><p>Zuko marches with his cat carrier up to the front desk and leans in to speak to the young woman manning the desk. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh!” She exclaims, “We’ve been expecting you. Zuko?” </p><p> </p><p>Zuko nods and jerks his head in Sokka’s direction. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s Sokka. We live together.”</p><p> </p><p>“Excellent,” she says. Her name tag says Olivia. “Obviously, you’ve already been told that both of your background checks have come back clean and your application has been approved. Provided that your pet doesn’t have any special needs or accommodations that need to be considered, you should be good to take home whoever you want. I understand that you don’t already have pets in the home?”</p><p> </p><p>Zuko shakes his head.</p><p> </p><p>“And you’re looking at cats or dogs? Or we also have a few guinea pigs too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Cats,” Zuko tells her. He’s looking stressed out again. Sokka takes a step forward and curls his arm around his shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>“Is there any way we can just get, like...a general look through first? We’re not really looking for anything specific. Just, you know. Whoever we get along with.” And by <em> we </em> Sokka very firmly means <em> Zuko</em>. </p><p> </p><p>“Of course.” Olivia pushes her chair back and gestures for a man to come take her place at the desk. “Right this way.”</p><p> </p><p>Sokka’s not sure what he’s expecting as they’re led down a hallway. Kennels, maybe? Little ones like the dogs have?</p><p> </p><p>Kennels are not what they get.</p><p> </p><p>Olivia leads them to what appears, initially, to be one large open room. There’s chairs, sofas, cat trees, boxes, hidey holes...and cats. <em>So many cats.</em></p><p> </p><p>“Unless they have problems with other cats or medical issues, we try to let them socialize as much as possible together. Everyone here is vaccinated and healthy and ready to go home, so you can feel free to hang out in here and get to know everyone. I’ll check back in in a few minutes but if you need any help, push the green button on the door or wave at the camera and I’ll be right in to help you.”</p><p> </p><p>Zuko doesn’t waste any time. He doesn’t even sit in a chair or on a couch, he drops himself straight to the floor and is immediately swarmed by a pack of little kittens, their tails straight up in the air, tiny claws already trying to climb him. Sokka’s heart twists hard in his chest as he watches his boyfriend untangle them out of his clothing. </p><p> </p><p>Zuko’s done martial arts for years and knows his way around a weapon. Sokka knew him when the anger issues were front and center and knows full well what Zuko is more than capable of breaking, but seeing him so <em> gentle </em> is almost more than he can handle.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you looking at?”</p><p> </p><p>Sokka jerks suddenly at being addressed. Zuko’s watching him, a little tuxedo kitten held up in both of his hands. </p><p> </p><p>“Nothin’,” he replies. He’s not going to profess his undying love and devotion in the middle of the animal shelter <em> or </em> start crying because seeing his boyfriend with cute baby animals makes his heart hurt. “Do you like that one?”</p><p> </p><p>“I like all of them,” Zuko grumbles and sets the kitten down. “How does anyone do this?”</p><p> </p><p>Sokka settles himself on a sofa next to a fat, orange monster who doesn’t so much as twitch when he pets down its back. The information on the collar says that his name is Nectarine and he’s seven years old and weighs twenty pounds.</p><p> </p><p>“Jesus, dude,” he tells the cat, “You’re a big boy. I think you’ve had enough lasagna.” He gives Nectarine a pat on the butt and receives a tail swish for his trouble.</p><p> </p><p>Sokka’s never had cats, but he thinks he can get used to them. He even thinks that he could really like them. Honestly, he thinks he can learn to like anything that makes Zuko so goddamned happy.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you want a big cat or a baby cat?”</p><p> </p><p>Zuko shrugs. “I don’t know. I thought I wanted a kitten, but maybe not? I think kittens are more adoptable, right? Everyone wants them because they’re little and cute so they go quick. So I think I maybe should pick a grown cat? Maybe one that’s going to have a harder time finding a home.”</p><p> </p><p>Sokka is moving before he can stop himself, flinging his body off the sofa and joining Zuko on the floor. He wraps an arm around him and leans in to kiss him soundly on the mouth. The little tuxedo cat in Zuko’s lap shouts at him, offended.</p><p> </p><p>“What was that for?” Zuko is genuinely bewildered.</p><p> </p><p>“Because I love you, and I wanted to,” Sokka tells him. “What about this one?” He gestures to fat, sleeping Nectarine. </p><p> </p><p>Zuko goes over and is immediately besieged by twenty pounds of orange tabby that finds its way into his lap and begins to make biscuits on his thighs.</p><p> </p><p>“This is the fattest cat I’ve ever seen,” Zuko comments with a grin that says it’s a selling point and not a problem. Sokka can’t help smiling back at him. Good job, Nectarine. “Oh, wait…” Zuko fiddles with the collar around his neck, “No go. It says he’s not adoptable. He’s like a therapy cat, I guess. Helps the new ones get adjusted to shelter life.”</p><p> </p><p>Damn it.</p><p> </p><p>Zuko slides back down to the floor and leans against the sofa...and hears a quiet peep come from underneath. Leaning down, he peers underneath the sofa and comes face to face with a pair of huge green eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you’re very cute.”</p><p> </p><p>Sokka cranes down to look too. Crouching underneath the sofa is a scrawny little calico, huddled in a frightened ball with her tail tucked over her nose. She <em> is </em>very cute, and Zuko is also very cute as he maneuvers himself onto his belly in order to stick his whole head under the couch.</p><p> </p><p>She peeps at him but doesn’t come closer, even as he extends his hand. </p><p> </p><p>“Not very friendly?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think she’s just scared,” Zuko mumbles, only half paying attention to Sokka as <em> New Mission: Make Friends </em> clicks into place. “Hello, there.” He makes a quiet little <em> pspsps </em>sound, which does exactly nothing. After a bit more futile coaxing, Zuko lets her be. </p><p> </p><p>Sokka admires his restraint, honestly. He doesn’t think that he would have it.</p><p> </p><p>A paw splotched with black, white, and orange creeps out from underneath the sofa and the little cat follows, giving Zuko’s purposefully relaxed hand a sniff.</p><p> </p><p>“So just out of curiosity,” Zuko asks casually and fooling no one, tickling the cat’s nose with his fingertips, “Exactly how many cats do you think we can reasonably care for in our apartment?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not as many as you want there to be, sweetie. We are not going home with fifty cats.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not fifty…”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>One.</em> We’re going home with one cat.”</p><p> </p><p>Zuko looks like he’s going to say something but gets distracted with the sound of a little squeak that startles all of them. They both look down just in time to see the calico out from under the couch completely and creep into Zuko’s lap. She’s a very small cat, still half kitten, short haired everywhere except for the tail, which is huge and fluffy and bigger than the rest of her whole body. She’s even got a smattering of orange over her left eye, matching Zuko in a way that’s positively uncanny. </p><p> </p><p>She accepts Zuko’s offered pets, flattening herself out like a little spotted rug on his lap, underneath his hands.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay, baby,” Zuko says softly, and Sokka feels like he’s been hit in the chest with a battering ram by how visibly he can see his boyfriend fall in soft, sappy love with this cat. Zuko examines the collar ringed loosely around her neck. </p><p> </p><p>“What’s her name?”</p><p> </p><p>“It says they’ve been calling her Shortcake.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s <em> adorable</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>I </em><em>know.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Zuko can’t resist the lure of Shortcake’s soft, fluffy belly when she rolls over his thighs, paws tucked up under her chin. It’s exactly as soft and fluffy as it looks, until she wraps all four paws around his hand and bites down <em> hard</em>. Sokka winces, and Zuko lets out a quiet hiss of pain and carefully dislodges her claws from his wrist.</p><p> </p><p>That’s it, then. Sokka mentally accepts that they just haven’t found The One yet...except that Zuko’s face has gotten even softer and more smitten, if that were even possible. He scoops a hand underneath Shortcake and lifts her up to cradle her like a baby, and even with all the ruckus, Sokka can hear the aggressive purring.</p><p> </p><p>“This is my cat,” Zuko says with conviction.</p><p> </p><p>“Even though she bit you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I should have known better than to fall for the belly trap. It’s always a trap.”</p><p> </p><p>The door opens.</p><p> </p><p>“How are you guys do—<em> oh!</em>” Olivia walks back in and stops abruptly. “Oh, wow. Shortcake doesn’t like <em> anybody</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“Can we adopt her?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course! Eclipse will be so sad, but he’ll be okay. They get along so well.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eclipse?” Sokka asks.</p><p> </p><p>Olivia points back underneath the sofa.</p><p> </p><p>So distracted they had both been by Shortcake that neither of them had noticed a second cat underneath the couch, a huge hulk of a cat, black all over. </p><p> </p><p>Eclipse is <em> huge. </em></p><p> </p><p>Eclipse has only half a tail.</p><p> </p><p>Eclipse is missing an ear.</p><p> </p><p>Eclipse is...a terrible name for a cat that cute.</p><p> </p><p>Sokka falls in love faster than he’d fallen in love with Yue when he was fifteen.</p><p> </p><p>Zuko puts Shortcake back down on the floor and she immediately slips back under the couch, crowding up against the other cat and starting up her rumbling purr again. Eclipse starts grooming her and when Sokka sticks his hand underneath the couch, starts grooming his fingers, too.</p><p> </p><p>Sokka looks over just in time to catch Zuko’s attentive side-eye that feels, just for a second, like he’s seeing straight into Sokka’s soul.</p><p> </p><p>“Would it be better for them to be adopted together?” he asks, completely straight-faced. Olivia grins at him, even as Sokka tugs a little at his sleeve.</p><p> </p><p>“Dude, we don’t have to—“</p><p> </p><p>“They love each other very much,” Olivia rolls right over Sokka as if he hadn’t said a word. “They’ll do really well together. Shortcake is still learning how to be a cat, and so far nobody has wanted this guy at all. We could even waive his adoption fees today, since you’re taking Shortcake, too.”</p><p> </p><p>That’s <em> sad as shit.</em></p><p> </p><p>“We want both of them,” Zuko insists. He leans over and wraps an arm around Sokka’s waist and gives him a squeeze.</p><p> </p><p>“We didn’t buy stuff for two cats—“</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll figure it out. They can both fit in the bag for the ride home, and I’ll make another Petco run if we need to. Or you can. Whatever.” Zuko reaches out with both hands and pats both of Sokka’s cheeks. “Two cats aren’t any harder than one, right? Besides, taking him home will make Shortcake happy, and it’ll make <em> you </em> happy, and it’ll make <em> me </em> happy. So we’re going to take him home with us too and it’s going to be <em> great. </em> Okay?”</p><p> </p><p>If anyone had asked Sokka whether he’d seen himself getting choked up in the middle of the shelter over a cat with a missing ear that nobody wanted, he’d probably have given them a weird look. But here he is, choked up in the middle of the animal shelter, and all he can do is nod his agreement before he starts crying.</p><p> </p><p>Zuko leans back, a self-satisfied smile tipping up the corners of his lips.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll go print you another set of paperwork, if you want to go ahead and put them in the bag,” Olivia says brightly on her way out. </p><p> </p><p>Zuko first scoops out Shortcake from under the sofa and pops her into the cat bag where she immediately starts screech-peeping her displeasure, and then leans down to coax out Eclipse. He comes out slowly but is happy enough to be hefted into Zuko’s arms with a soft heave.</p><p> </p><p>“Here’s your child,” Zuko says and hands him over to Sokka.</p><p> </p><p>“We’ve gotta change your name, dude,” Sokka says, “Who picked that?” The only answer comes in the form of a headbutt against his chin. “Are we gonna have a fight about the bag?”</p><p> </p><p>Eclipse-soon-to-be-something-else-<em>anything-</em>else puts up way less of a fight than Shortcake. By some miracle they both fit, if only because they’re perfectly content to squish together inside. Zuko picks it up by the handle to minimal shouting just in time for Olivia to return with two sets of paperwork on a clipboard.</p><p> </p><p>They go back to the front office, sign the papers, and that’s it.</p><p> </p><p>They have cats now.</p><p> </p><p>It doesn’t really hit until they’re back in the car. Zuko’s got the bag partially unzipped with his hand stuffed inside. Sokka starts the car but doesn’t put it in gear, just sits for a minute and stares at his boyfriend crooning sweet nothings in the seat next to him.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s up?” Zuko asks after a moment or two of not moving.</p><p> </p><p>“We’ve...got cats now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yup.”</p><p> </p><p>“Like, more than one. One for you and one for me.”</p><p> </p><p>“...Yes?”</p><p> </p><p>“Dude, we have <em> pets </em> together.” </p><p> </p><p>Zuko <em> beams </em> at him, bright and easy and rare as a double rainbow.</p><p> </p><p>“We do,” he says, “Please drive so we can get home faster.”</p><p> </p><p>“In a rush much?”</p><p> </p><p>Zuko’s grin goes just a little sly.</p><p> </p><p>“These guys need to settle into their new home,” he says, “And I need to kiss you stupid.”</p><p> </p><p>“You won’t make out with me in your car in the parking lot?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not in front of our children, I won’t.”</p><p> </p><p>Sokka unbuckles his seat belt and leans over anyway to clamber halfway over the center console. He’s mindful and careful of the cat carrier, even as he reaches out to cradle Zuko’s cheeks in his palms and kiss him. Zuko sighs and relaxes into it, before pulling away with an affectionate, exasperated sigh.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Home, </em>Sokka,” he says. “Take us home.”</p><p> </p><p>Sokka starts the car and takes them home.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
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